Serenity vs Alien: Resurrection – Battle of the Redundant Geek Movies

byGreat White Snark| updated onJuly 18, 2008

Think these two flicks have almost nothing in common? Think again, you silly nerf herder. I bet you three high-fives (the only currency in which I can afford to deal these days) that you can’t figure out which movie I’m describing, below:

The film features a smart-alecky captain and his small smuggling ship’s scrappy crew of brigands, who must face and escape the horrors of a menacing and mysterious race of creatures.

The crew includes a rough-edged hired gun, a tough-but-level-headed African American first mate, an unassuming-yet-talented mechanic, the captain’s strong-willed love interest, and a young, pretty girl with a secret past.

Oh, and even though it’s a sci-fi flick, everybody’s packing projectile weapons… not lasers.

Stumped? You should be. That Serenity flick you enjoyed so much was knocked loose from the very same template that Joss Whedon created for Alien: Resurrection when he was on his gold-plated crapper one lazy Sunday afternoon.

Point:Serenity successfully rode the wave of enthusiasm created by the short-lived Firefly series.

Resurrection frayed the nerves of fans of the already-fatigued Alien franchise. (Seriously? Ripley’s back again?)

ADVANTAGE: Serenity

Point:The River Tam character in Serenity provides a more compelling storyline than the equivalent Annalee Call character in Alien: Resurrection.

I’d tend to agree with you, Nathan, since I’m somewhat biased, too… but that chase scene after the bank robbery in the beginning of Serenity pains me. Effects straight out of an early-80s sci-fi flick.